Being a former NHL referee, Paul Stewart likes to joke that he can’t pass through an airport metal detector because of all the knives he has in his back from his officiating days.

Truth be told, Stewart was one of the most respected referees during his career, and that respect culminated this week in the announcement that Stewart would be part of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018. The Boston native joins Gordon “Red” Berenson, Natalie Darwitz, Leland “Hago” Harrington and David Poile as this year’s inductees, all of whom will be officially welcomed into the Hall in a ceremony in Nashville, TN on Dec. 12.

“It’s the one bit of news that has rendered me speechless,” Stewart said. “The two words that don’t often describe me in a sentence – humbled and speechless.”

Stewart, 65, made history as the first American to officiate more than 1,000 NHL regular-season games, working until his retirement from the NHL referee ranks...